TUNE IN FOR CHATHAM’S JUNO-NOMINATED BROOKE NICHOLLS ALL THIS WEEK DURING THE #SPOTLIGHT – HEARD DAILY JUST AFTER 3:30 DURING WEEKDAZE WITH JAY!
Congratulations to Chatham’s Brooke Nicholls, who was recently nominated for a Juno Award for Best Contemporary Christian / Gospel Album of the Year for her latest full length release, “Pursue”.
For Canadian Worship Leader & Songwriter Brooke Nicholls, the key to weathering different seasons of life is all about shifting your perspective. The first time Brooke felt this kind of shift was in 2015. Seven years into a pop music career; three independent records and many missed successes later, Brooke began looking backward, at all of the heartache and disappointment, and saw very clearly the hand of God guiding her each step of the way – and so she wrote.
What came out of that season was Brooke’s debut Worship/Inspirational album – ‘Found In You’ (rel. Dec 5, 2016). The songs on ‘Found In You’ were milestones of how God had been working in her life, bringing her through tough seasons and helping her find hope and healing. What she didn’t know was how those songs would connect. God began opening doors for Brooke to share her songs and in the year that followed the release of ‘Found In You’ Brooke was able to travel across Canada, playing a total of 97 times in 2017, opening for acts like MercyMe, NewSong, The City Harmonic, Love & The Outcome and Dan Bremnes. The album’s lead single ‘Home’ charted Top 10 at Canadian Christian Radio and went Number 1 at the largest Christian Radio Station in Canada. 2017 culminated in Brooke being nominated for New Artist of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year at the Canadian Gospel Music Awards.
Now, as that chapter begins to close, Brooke is set for another perspective shift with her new album ‘Pursue’. While ‘Found In You’ was a retrospective – a look back on God’s redemptive work in even her most broken situations – ‘Pursue’ is all about looking ahead, into a season of unknown. Produced by David Leonard (All Sons & Daughters), the songs on ‘Pursue’ are a massive step forward for Brooke, both sonically and emotionally. Bold and confident, songs like ‘The Darkness Doesn’t Scare Me’ and the album’s title track ‘Pursue’ are anthems for Brooke – asserting that no matter where this next season of life takes her, she’ll be looking ahead and fixing her eyes on Jesus to guide her. The foundation of ‘Pursue’ is the underlying truth is that, in the same way God was faithful in guiding her in the past, she can rest assured that He will guide her in this next season too.
God has opened some exciting doors for Brooke & her music in the last few years, and while she hopes He continues to do so, she knows that nothing is guaranteed. Even so, looking ahead at the next season of life and not knowing where it will take her, she’ll simply continue to passionately pursue God’s calling on her life and encourage others to do the same – keeping their eyes fixed on Jesus.
Brooke currently serves as a Staff Worship Leader at C4 Church in Ajax, ON. She’s married to her guitar player Steve and together they live in Toronto.
